Internal combustion engine plant with at least two crankshafts



Feb. 9, 1943. E WAEBER 2,310,269

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE PLANT WITH AT LEAST TWO CRANKSHAFTS FiledD60. 2'7, 1941 I MM AITORN EY5 Patented Feb. 9,

INTERNAL COMBUSTION WGINE. PLANT WITH AT LEAST TWO CRANKSHAFTS ErwinWaeber, Winterthur, Switnerland, assign):-

to Snlzer Freres, (Sooit Anonyme, Winterthnr,

Small Application December :1, 1941, Serial No. 424,643

In Switzerland August 10. 1941 V v Claims.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine plant with atleast two crankshafts driving a main shaft through a central gear andconsists in that the gear member is provided with heating spacesconnected to the cooling-circuit of the intemai combustion engine, inorder, by heating the gear member, to eliminate bending stresses in thetransmission shafts which are supported partl in the gear member andpartly in the internal combustion engine.

The heating spaces of the gear member and the cooling spaces of theinternal combustion engine are connected in series in such a way thatthe heated cooling-water flows from the coolingspaces of the engine intothe heating spaces of the gear member. Cooling-water may also bewithdrawn at an intermediate spot of the coolingspaces of the internalcombustion engine and led to the heating spaces of the gear member. Inother cases a mixture of cooled water flowing to the engine and heatedwater flowing from the engine cooling-system can be led to the heatingspaces of the gear member in order to be able to adjust the temperatureof the gear member by varying the ratio of hot water to cold water. ispreferable to introduce the water below into the heating spaces of thegear member and to lead it away above from the heating spaces.

The invention is further explained with the help of the drawing. whereFig. 1 shows a side view and Fig. 2 a plan view of a simplifiedillustration of a construction according to the invention. The method ofworking of the object of the invention is explained with the help ofFig. 3 (longitudinal section) and Fig. 4 (front view).

The double-shaft opposed-piston engines I and 2 (Figs. -1 to 4) form aninternal combustion engine set whose crankshafts 3 drive the main shaft8 through the pinions 4 and the central gearwheel 5. The casing l of thegear has heating spaces 8 and 8 which are in connection with thecooling-medium circuit of the engines.

Through the pumps Ill and II (Figs. 1 and 2) the engines I and 2 and thecooler I! receive cooling-water through the distributing piping IS. Theheated cooling-water passes out of the collecting pipe ll through pipeI! into the lower part of the heating spaces 8 and 9 of the gearcasing 1. already passed through the heating spaces of the gear casingback again to the cooler I2. Between the recooled water in thedistributing piping l3 and the heated water in the collecting pipe M Thepipe i6 leads the water which has there is only a small temperaturedifference, so

that the gear casing has practically the same temperature as the enginecasing.

The transmission shafts are, as can be seen in Figs. 3 and-4, carried inthe engine casing l or 2 and also in the gear casing I. If the enginecasing I or 2 expands when heated in the course of service, thetransmission shafts will be liable to be subjected to bending stressesin the regions l1 between the engines and the gears. If the gear case Iis heated in a suitable manner, the gear case also expands, so thatbending of the transmission shafts between the engine and the gear atthe regions I! will be prevented and bending stresses cannot occur.

The cooling-water could for instance be taken from the cooler in twoseparate parallel circuits. One part of the cooling-water flows theninto the cooling spaces of the engines and the other part into theheating spaces of the gear case. Since there is only a small temperaturedifference between the recooled and the heated cooling-water, the gearcase will assume practically the same temperature as the engine casing.Another possibility for leading in the cooling-water is that water istaken from an intermediate spot of the engine cooling-spaces and led tothe heating spaces of the gear case. The gear case then takes uppractically the mean temperature of the engine casing. Also a mixture ofcold water flowing to the engine and hot water from the engine coolingsystem could be led to the heating spaces of the gear case, in order inthis manner to be able to keep the gear case at the mean temperature ofthe engine casing. Taking the cooling-water from an intermediate spot onthe engines and the mixture of cold and hot water for heating the gearcase is particularly recommended when water for cooling can be led tothe engine cooling-spaces from a pipe, from a pond, or from a lake.

The internal combustion engine according to the invention may also haveonly one or also more than two rows of cylinders. In thearrangement ofseveral rows of cylinders the crankshaft of each row of cylinders candrive the main shaft through the same central gear. Also more than onecentral gear could be provided for several rows of cylinders.

I claim:

1. Internal combustion engine plant with at least two crankshaftsdriving a main shaft through a central gear characterised in that thegear member is provided with heating spaces connected to thecooling-circuit of the internal combustion engine, in order, by heatingthe gear member, to eliminate bending stresses in the transmissionshafts which are supported partly in the gear member and partly in theinternal combustion engine.

2. Internal combustion engine plant as claimed in claim 1, characterisedin that the heating spaces of the gear member and the coolingspaces ofthe internal combustion engine are connected in series in such a waythat the heated cooling-water flows from the cooling spaces of theengine to the heating spaces of the gear member.

3. Internal combustion engine plant as claimed in claim 1, characterisedin that cooling-water is withdrawn at an intermediate spot of thecooling-spaces oi the internal combustion engine and led to the heatingspaces of the gear member.

4. Internal combustion engine plant as claimed in claim 1, characterisedin that a mixture of cooled water flowing to the engine and heated waterflowing from the engine cooling-system is led to the heating spaces ofthe gear member, in order to be able to adjust the temperature of thegear member by varying the ratio of hot water to cold water.

5. Internal combustion engine plant as claimed in claim 1, characterisedin that the water is introduced below into the heating spaces of thegear member and led away above from the heat-t ing spaces.

ERWIN WAEBER.

